Bringing Hope to Orphans and Widows in Northern Iraq

In a place hostile to Christianity, the church is small yet growing steadily. In Northern Iraq, called Kurdistan by the locals, the Kurdish church is reaching out to a hurting community of orphans and widows.

This area, known as the Freedom Martyr’s Village, was established by the Kurdistan Regional Government as a refuge for those families whose relatives died at the hand of Saddam.

While these families have new homes, housing continues to be a problem for the thousands of Kurds returning to the area. Squatter homes surround Freedom Martyr’s Village and serve as a reminder of the continued desperation of the Iraqi people.

Few Western aid organizations have been able to help, but in March 2009, the local Iraqi government gave World Orphans an acre of land in the center of the village.

World Orphans is making that land accessible to the people in and around the Freedom Martyr’s Village by constructing The Refuge – a community center that meets the individual needs of the widows and orphans in this region.

Construction on the community center is more than halfway complete. Watch the video below to see what an impact your gift could make in Northern Iraq.